Valve



Aug. 30 1927.

- 1,641,141 5. c. CALDARA VALVE Filed April 15. 1927 IN V EN TOR.

lime/um Gwddwl Patented Aug. '30, 1927,

satva'roan o. m m, or rmw'vonx, N. Y. i

\ vnvn.

Application filed April 13, 1987. Serial No'. 183,316.

This invention relates to valves in the general nature of faucets and the like. It is-well known that faucets, particularly for hot water, have a great tendency to leak after a short use, duelargely to the wearing of the washers. .These washers are troublea some tochang;

and require the shutting off of the water fore the faucet can be taken apart for such renewal, so it is quite common for the leakage to be 'alIowedto continue until it becomes too serious for further neglect. i

The objects of this invention are to overcome these faults in prior valves and to provide a structure which will be relatively simple, inexpensive, easy to manufacture and 1 assemble, durable, long-wearing and abso- .lhaving the features of the invention emlutely tight under allcondi'tion's.

These objects are attained by a novel construction, combination and relation of parts as hereinafter'described and claimed.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of this specificat1on illustrates a commercial form of the invention, the single view being a longitudinal section of a faucet bodied therein. 4

, The body of the faucet designated 1 is shown a's having a partition 2 therein, provided with a port 3 surrounded by an upstanding curved-rim 4,"which in turn is surrounded by a curved groove'5, the rib and I surrounding groove constituting a valve seat.

, The neck of the faucet-is internally screw threaded at 6 and is closed by a screw cap 7 having a gland or packing 8 for the valve stem.

The valve stem shown at -9 is illustrated as I having an enlarged screw threaded head 10' rovided with a and as suitable. handle '11 for turmng the same.

' The screw head of the valve stem is shown as faced off with a wide flat surface 12 and as having afcentral longitudinally extending screw seat 13.

. To the lower end of the valve stem there is applied a rotatable head 14.- havinga flat upper face 15 of the same diameter and in flat abutting engagement with the lowerface 12 of the stem. The rotatable mounting of this head is effected by a screw shown ashaving a shank 16 engaged in the screw seat 13, an annular shoulder 17 in' abutting ellgagement with the face 12 and a flat head 18 seating freel in a recess 19 in the under face of the rotata 1e head.

'tration of a r or the like having its upper portion of -re-.

form a chamber 20 and the cavity for the The head ,14 is cupped on its under side to I screw head is sunk-in the top of this charm her so that the screw head will not project into the chamber.

proper consists in the illuse atively thick disc 21 oflead The valve duced diameter to fit within the flange 22 of the cup. The lower face of this valve disc is shown as having a central protuberance 23 extending down into the valve port surrounded by a groove 24 fitting the rib of the valve seat and a dependent outer edge 25 fittin in the .annular groove of the valve seat. 3 he. lower face of the valve member may be preformed in the shape dey scribed, but this is not essential in the case of lead or like material as the same will shape itself to the peculiar form of the valve seat.

In practice, the valve is assembled by plac ing the. cupped head in abutting engagement with the smooth lower end of thevalve stem and then inserting and turning the screw down into shouldered engagement in its seat. This secures the head rotatably on the end of the stem and the limitation afforded by the stop shoulder enables the screw to be setup "absolutely tight without-in any way binding or restricting the free rotation of the head. The valve disc is then mounted by inserting the reduced portion of the same into the cup of the head. This may bejust a light frictional engagement sufiicient to hold the disc .in place for the time being, be cause as soonas the valve stem is entered in the valve body and screwed down to force the valve to its seat the lead will be crowded of the metal in'the head which will the disc securely in The lower part of the. disc is shown equal in diameter to the rim. of the cup so as to overstand the edge of the cup, as indicated at 26, and thus prevent the e e of the cup from ever coming into engagement wit the valve seat. I The wear on the valve is practically negup into the cup sufficiently to effect a -,swagin hold place thereafter,

ligible as the valve does not turn, once it 1s carried into engagement with its seat and it leaves its seat also without turning. Practically the only wear, therefore, is that be-' tween the flat abutting surfaces, of the valve stem and rotatable head and these surfaces .are of ample width to take care of'all such wear and to keep the valve true. The

' meeting portions of the valve stem and head the su are shown as annularly grooved on a substantially semi-circular curvature at 27 so as to present a symmetrical form and provide ample clearance for flow about the valve.

The fact that the valve disc can be mounted by simply dropping it into the cup in the rotatable head is especially important as no tools are required and the fit between these arts need not be absolutely accurate as bsequent pressure applied by the screw stem serves to fix the valve disc firmly in place. Inthis connection it will be noted that the lead is confined by the valve seat in a way to efiect the squeezing of the valve material up into the cup, rather than to spread the material. The outer groove of the valve seat holds the material against lateral spreading While the raised rim of the valve seat exerts pressure to force the material up into the cup and to expand it within the cup. Should itbecome necessary to dissemble the valve this can be easily done by simply rying or pulling the disc out of the cup. he screw head is then exposed so that the screw canthen be readil removed if that is desired. As the hea of the screw is entirely seated in the upper end of the cup, the upper face of the disc ma be left fiat and so need not be finished or s aped in any special way.

' iat is claimed is:

1. In a :Eaucet or like structure, a valve body having a port surrounded by an annular ridge which in turn is surrounded by an annular groove, said ridge and groove affording a valve seat, a valve stem having a screw engagement in the valve body over said seat and provided with a flat lower end having a screw seat therein, a cupped valve head having a fiat upper end in abutting en gagement with and of substantially the same diameter as the lower end of the valve stem,

said cupped valve head having a depression in the center of the same, a screw having a shank engaged in the screw seat of the st em, a shoulder in abutment with the end of the valve stem and a head freely received in the depression in the valve head and a lead valve disc having a shouldered upper portion swaged within the cup of the valve head, the

seat, a cupped valve head in rotar abutting engagement with the lower end 0 the valve stem, a screw extending through said valve head into the lower end of the valve stem, said screw having a projecting portionon whichthe valve head is freely swiveled and a head for rotatably confining the valve head to the valve stem, the extent of movement of.

the screw into the screw seat being limited to prevent the head of the screw from binding the valve head and interfering with free rotation of the same and a valve disc having characteristics of lead and having a portion of the same entered in the cup of the valve head and squeezed in frictional binding engagement within said cup by'the pressure applied by the screw valve stem, there being clearance provided in the back of the cup between the head of the screw and the inner I face of the valve disc to prevent engagement between the valve disc and screw upon relative rotation of the valve stem and valve head.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto'set my hand this 9th day of April, 1927.

SALVATORE o. CALDARA. 

